Friday, February 05, 2016

Russia is winning in Syria and now the sanctions are at risk...

Ukraine must uphold its part of a peace deal with Russia by modernising the country or risk a collapse of support for EU sanctions against Moscow, Denmark's foreign minister said on Friday.The European Union is pressing Kiev to overcome political feuding and implement reforms to bring Ukraine out of Russia's shadow and into the West, but the resignation of Ukraine's frustrated economy minister has underlined the difficulties."If Ukraine doesn't come through with the reforms linked to the Minsk peace process, it will be very difficult for Europe to continue united in support for sanctions against Russia," Kristian Jensen told Reuters, referring to the peace deal agreed by Ukraine, Russia,France and Germany last year.Jensen was speaking on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Amsterdam.

You can read between the lines on this just like I can. The EU is chomping at the bit to remove the sanctions against Russia. I don't know but would love to find out how much economic activity has been lost because of them.

But put that aside for a moment.

I'm past the point of wondering how every initiative pushed by our State Dept seems to be either a terrible deal, a bad idea, or just flawed but that's where we're at with Russia.

Their guys are beating our guys and it's no longer a surprise or frustrating. I'm to the point of expecting it. Whats simply mind blowing though is that while the Obama Administration is pushing to send an Armored Brigade Combat Team to Europe to "protect" them from Russian aggression, the EU looks ready to normalize relations and end the sanctions with them.

Our Pentagon labels them the number 1 threat and the EU is anxious to get back to trading with them. Is this bizarro world or what?